Netanyahu: Right wing, led by Likud, won a clear victory
It looks highly Likely that Netanyahu will be the next Prime Minister of Israel, Evin though Livni’s Kadima party won one more seat in the elections. The right wing bloc won big overall, Labor is toast, and that means Netanyahu will be more likely to succeed at forming a unity government. This is the same way he won the last time he was Prime Minister. This is a good day for Israel, and bad news for Obama, who would have preferred to deal with the Labor party’s willingness to give away land to the Palis in exchange for more terrorism. It’s also a bad day for Hamas. Bibi becoming PM again is their worst nightmare. They know from past experience that when he says he will fight terrorism, he means it, and he isn’t going to hand them the West Bank and let them attack Israel from another side. He also won’t give the Golan up to Syria, as Livni supported doing. This would be especially dangerous, as Obama has lifted sanctions on Syria since taking office, and restored diplomatic relations with the terrorist supporting country. Israel definitely needs someone like Netanyahu with Liberals in America in power.
Likud Chairman Benjamin Netanyahu declared victory in Tuesday’s parliamentary election as he addressed supporters in a speech early Wednesday, despite exit polls that predicted his party narrowly coming second to the ruling Kadima Party.
However, the exit polls also indicate that Likud is in a better position than Kadima to lead a coalition because of a strong showing by other nationalist parties.
“I’ve spoken to party leaders,” Netanyahu said, “and we have agreed to begin negotiations on forming a new government as soon as tomorrow.”
“Even if exit polls are accurate, there is no doubt regarding the only conclusion they point to: the Israeli people have said their word in a clear fashion, the nationalist bloc, led by Likud, won a clear victory,” Netanyahu added.
“The question is not what the polls say. The question is what the reality is. From this day on, the right wing bloc rises to an absolute majority in the Knesset,” the Likud chair went on to say.
“There is no doubt regarding our own movement’s meteoric rise. In the last Knesset we had only 12 seats, 10% of the Knesset. We have more than doubled our power and grown more than any other party,” Netanyahu continued.
“The rise of the right-wing camp and the Likud can only mean one thing, the people want change,” Netanyahu exclaimed. “The people want one path. Our path won and it will lead the people.”
Likud members, meanwhile, were quick to stress that Kadima’s apparent win did not mean it would necessarily be chosen to form the next coalition.
“I am certain that Netanyahu will be the next prime minister,” said Likud lawmaker Gilad Erdan. “Netanyahu has a clear advantage because the right wing parties have a larger bloc. The test is not which party gets the most votes, but which candidate has the best chance to form a coalition, and that person is Benjamin Netanyahu.”
Netanyahu, meanwhile, phoned Yisrael Beiteinu Chairman Avigdor Lieberman just after the exit polls were released, apparently to discuss the future of the next coalition.
Former minister Silvan Shalom, another member of Likud, said Kadima was “delusional” to declare such a quick win. A government led by Kadima Chairwoman Tzipi Livni was unrealistic, said Shalom, adding that Likud was the obvious choice for leading the next government.
Public Security Minister Avi Dichter (Kadima) responded to Shalom by saying: “Tzipi Livni is the leader of the State of Israel from today until the next Knesset elections.”
FYI: Livni has attempted to form a unity government once before and failed. With the polls showing strong support for the right wing bloc, she’ll have an even tougher time getting support now, even if she offers those parties the moon in return for switching sides. Anything is possible I suppose, but I’m praying Netanyahu can bring some sanity to Israel’s foreign policy, and thwart Obama’s plans for the region.
